Automobile frame



Nov. 26, 1940. E ALMDALE 2,222,92`9

AUTOMOBILE FRAME Original Filed Oct. 15, 1955 INVENTU. Zs/me A/vpm:

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ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 26, 1940 UNITE. STATES AUTOMOBILE FRARIE Einar Almdale, Detroit, Mieli., assignor to The Midland Steel Products Company, Cleveland,`

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio s riginal application October 15, 1935, Serial No. 45,065. Divided and this application August 2, 1938, Serial No. 222,672

13 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automobile frames, and an important object of the invention is to provide, during the blanking of side rails, means whereby cross members can be readily connected with the side rails after the latter have been formed into 'closed hollow section.

Another important object of the invention is to provide means for connecting transversely extending cross members to the sideHrails for longitudnally extending members, including structure wherein stress will be distributed and eliminated toa very appreciable degree from the actual welded portions;

A further object of the invention is to provide the connected side rails and cross members with suitable complementary welding areas to effect proper distribution of heat therebetween during the welding Operations. Other objects and adduring the course of the following description.

In. the accompanying drawing forming a part of the application and whereinV like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views: w

Fig. l is a fragmentary view of a portion of a flat blank from which a portion of a side rail is formed, the dotted lines' indicating the points along which the blank is bent in forming the hollow side rail.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view after the blank illustrated in Fig. 1 has been bent along the dotted lines shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a hollow portion of the side rails showing elongated openings in which one end of a transverse cross member is to be inserted and welded to the side rail.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan viewshowing the manner of connecting a transverse cross member to the side rail,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary Vertical sectional view of Fig. 4,

Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively fragmentary plan and Vertical sectional views of another embodiment of the invention.

The present application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 45,065 filed October 15, 1935 for an Automobile frame, now Patent Number 2,194,349 of March 19, 1940.

Referring to Figs. 3 through 5, the numer-'al li] designates a portion of a hollow section side rail which may be formed in any desired manner; but is here shown as comprising oppositely facing complementary channel Sections ll and |2, the

vantages of the invention will become 'ap'parent' outer channel section Il having the web 'portion 83, an upper fian'ge |4 and a lower flange [5; while the inner channel section |2 has a web portion i, an upper fiange I'l and a lower flange l8. The complementary fianges of the channel secl`'53 tions H and l2 extend toward each other and are adapted to be joined together, as indicated at 19 and 2d, preferably by butt-weldingv the longitudinal edges of the fianges together whereby the web Sections are spaced apart to form a closed hollow'box section side rail and the rail is thus integrated by the welding, intov substantially integral top, bo-ttom and side walls.

In order to provide a seat and connection for a transverse cross member 23 of the automobile frame, the longitudinal Corners 22 of 'the inner channel section |2 are provided with oppositely disposed elongated openings 24. Each of these openings has a defining wall 25 in the web portion AM5 vand another dening wall 26 in the flanges of the inner channel section I2. The op'posite ends of the defining walls 26 terminate in offset slots 32 extending laterally toward the long'itudinal edges of the inner channel section l2 to provide the side rail with projections 60, each having an area equal to the complementary end of the cross member 23 to be welded thereto, so that the welding heat will be concentrated at the adjacent welding surfaces whereby proper distribution of heat is had. i The transverse cross member 23 is herein. shown having" a hollow cross section 3,5 which terminates in an enlarged hollow section 35 having upper and lower walls 31' and side walls 38, the latter being cut out as indica'ted at 39 so that the upper and lower walls 31 project beyond the ends of .the side walls 38, as at 46.

vTo connect the cross member 23 to the inner Vchannel sectionr 12, the projecting portions 4D of the upper and lower walls 31 are inserted into the openings 24 and rest fairly snugly upon the defining walls or seats in the web portions lt, so that the cross member 23 may be welded to the web portion lt as shown at M. The Vextended upper and lower walls MI of the trans- .4 verse member 23 are of sufiicient length to extend beyond |the web portion [3 into abutting engagementjwith the projection of the open'- i ing 2d, so that the cross member 23 may be'sutably butt-welded to theflanges of the inner channel section |2 as shown at 42. It is preferable that 'the gauge ofithe metal edges to be buttwelded is approximately the same so that equal welding temperature is imparted simultaneously to the two edges. to be united; w

In Fig. 5, it will be seen that the cut-out portion of the side walls of the cross member 23, provides an opening 43 therebetween with the web portion 16, which permits insertion of a welding tool to perform the welds indicated at 4|, and eliminates metal to metal contact between the web portion 16 and the side walls of the cross member 23, whereby the welding heat is concentrated between the parts to be welded, that is, the end portions .40 of the cross member 23 and the adjacent surfaces of the inner channel section 12.

Similarly the ofiset slots 32 faciltate the additional welding of the top' and bottom walls of the cross member 23 to the fianges of the channel section 12, as shown in 42. In this connection, a welding tool can be inserted through the slots 32 to weld the inner surface of the web 16 to the extended walls 40 of the cross member 23, if it is so desired.

The method of forming the inner channel section 12 is shown in Figs. 1 and '2, and comprises punching the openings 24 in a flat metal side rail blank at at predetermined points, during 'the blanking of the side rail, to accommodate the required number of transverse cross members 23 required in the automobile frame, and then bending the flat blank 150 along the dotted lines 51 and 52 to form the web portion 16 in the fianges 1'1 and 18.

From the foregoing, it will be perceived that the openings 24, formed during the blanking operation for the side rails, provide ready made seats 25 in the web portion 16 of the box section, against which the cross member projection 40 rests snugly, and accordingly any Vertical or torsional stresses on the cross member 23 are transmitted directly to the web portion It. which bears the brunt of such stresses to relieve the welds to some extent of such stresses. By arranging the openings 24 in the longitudinal corners of the box section, the stresses set up due toany tendencies of the cross member and side rail-s to twist relative to each other, are transmitted to all four walls of the closed section so that the welded joints receive no fatiguing strains.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 comprises a hollow box section side rail 120, herein shown as being formed of an inverted substantially U-shaped member 121 having atop wall 122, an outer web 123 and an inner web 124. The webs 123 and 124 respectively, terminate in longtudinally extending flanges 125 and 126 to which is secured, as by rivets or welding, a member 128 which completely closes the transverse section of the side rail 120.

In order to provide a seat for a transverse cross member 130, the bottom plate or member 128 is provided with a longitudinally extending portion 13! to provide a seat to which the lower wall 132 of the cross member may be welded or riveted. Another seat for the upper wall 133 of the cross member 130 is provided by forming an opening 134 in the marginal corner 135 of the side rail 120 and has a defining edge in'the top wall 122 'and another defining edge inthe inner web 124. The opposite ends of the opening |34 are provided in the top wall 122 with offset slots 131 tol provide the side rail 120 with projection 138 equal in area to the complementary end of the cross member |30 to be welded thereto, so that the welding heat will be concentrated at the adjacent abutting surfaces to be welded together. The upper wall 133 of the cross member '130 is herein shown at 210 as butt-welded to the projection 138 and as fiash-welded at 211 to the inner web 124 of the side rail 120. It will be noted that the side walls of the cross member 130 adjacent the side rail 120 are cut away as at 139, to concentrate the welding heat only upon those complementary parts of the side rail and cross member which are to be united. This construction is particularly adapted to relieve the welded portions of torsional stresses, since the web 124 and bottom projecton 13| form seats to accommodate torsional stresses and transmit such stresses1 throughout the length of the side rail.

It 'is to be understood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be v resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a side member having integral side, upper and lower walls and having a slot at the meeting corner of two of said walls, and a cross memberhaving an end portion thereof received in said slot and secured to said walls of said side member.

2. In combination, a side member having side, upper and lower walls and having an opening at the meeting corner of two lof said walls providing a seat in said side| wall, and a cross member having an end portion thereof received in said opening and resting on said seat and secured to said side member.

3. In combination, a side member having side, upper and lower walls and having an opening at the juncture of two of said walls providing a seat in said side wall and an abutment surface in said upper wall, and a cross member having an end portion received in said opening and resting on said seat andextending beyond said side wall into abutting relation with said abutment surface on said upper wall, said cross member being w,

welded to said side member.

4. In an automobile frame, a side rail having a side wall provided with upper and lower walls and having oppositely disposed openings at each corner of said side wall and the upper and lower walls, and a cross member having an end portion thereof received in said'oppositely disposed openings and welded to said side rail.

5. In an automobile frame, a rail of closed boxsection provided with fianges connected by a Web portion and having oppositely disposed openings at the corners of said web and the adjacent flanges to provide seats fin said web portion and abutment surfaces in said 'fianges, and a cross member having-a portion thereof received insaid oppositely disposed openings and resting on said seats and in abutting relation with said abutment surfaces, said cross member being welded to said side rail at said'seats and abutment surfaces.

6. In an automobile frame, 'a side rail having integral side, upper and lower walls and having an opening at the corner of two of said walls to provide a seat in said side wall and an abutment surface in said upper wall, and a cross member having an end 'portion thereof received cent said web portion having a cut out portion to provide an opening to facilitate said welding of said cross member to said side Wall. a

8. In an automobile frame, a side rail of closed box section having spaced apart Vertical webs and horizontal fianges and having openings disposed I at the meeting corners of one of said webs and the adjacentfianges to provide seats in one of said webs and abutment surfaces in 'said adjacent fianges, and a cross member having a, boxshaped end provided with horizontal walls received in said openings and resting on said seats, said horizontal walls projecting beyond said one Web into abutting relation with said abutment surfaoes in said adjacent fianges, said cross member being welded to said side member at said seats and abutment surfaces.

9. In an automobile frame, a side rail of closed box-section having spaced apart side Walls, a top and bottom wall, and having an opening at a corner of' said top wall and an adjacent side wall to provide a seat in said adjacent wall and an abutment surface in said top wall, and a cross member having'an end of a wall thereof received in said openingand resting on said seat and in abutting relation with said abutment surface, said cross memberbeing welded to said side rail at said seat and said abutment surface.

10. In an automobile frame, a side rail of closed box-section having spaced apart side walls, a top and bottom wall, and having an opening at a corner of said top Wall and an adjacent side wall toprovide one seat in said adjacent wall and an abutment surface in said top Wall, said bottom wall having a portion extending beyond said ad?` jacent side wall to provide another seat, and a cross member having a portion'of one endthereof received in said opening and resting on said one seat and in abutting relation with said abutment surface, said cross member having another portion of said end resting on said other seat, said crossv member being welded to said side rail at said abutment surface and at said seats.

11. In an automobile frame, an element having a pair of walls angularly disposed to form a corner at the juncture thereof, said corner having an opening therein of a width equal to the thickness of one of the walls to expose the thickness thereof, and a member having an edge received in said opening and resting upon one exposed edge of one wall and butt-welded to the other exposed edge of the other wall;

12. In an automobileframe, a siderail having a Vertical side Wall and a horizontalwall forming a corner at the juncture of said walls, said corner having an opening therein to expose the thickness of the rail in both the horizontal and Vertical Walls, the exposed thickness of the verhorizontal walls forming abutments, and va cross member having upper and lower edges received in said openings and butt-welded to the abutment iedges of the horizontal walls.v

EINAR ALMDALE. 

